The Face of the Man I Love
by Me Again Just Cooler
Summary: AU Girl Zero... A woman knows the face of the man she loves as a sailor knows the open sea- Honore de Balzac... A big pile of bull is what I used to think, well, at least, I used to... KaZe
1. Just warming up

**Ok, so this is my first story for VK after years of reading fanfic, and well, finally growing the furry round ones to write it. So, well, for explicatory measures:**

**A) Zero's a girl in this fic, not only that but is about 4 years younger than Ichiru and has a special 'condition' which made her need some more special 'medication'. Further explained in later chapters.**

**B) Shisuka did kill the Kiryu's and yes Ichiru did betray them**

**C) Ichiru was never sick, in fact, he was the prodigy son and hunter extraordinaire, and for this, he never hated Zero.**

**Well I guess that would be it for now, in case I forgot something I will explain in the next chapter. **

**Please enjoy XD**

**Chapter 1: Just warming up**

The winter wind blew chilling currents across the barren hill top, sending miniature fairy like snowflakes over the dimly lit town beneath. Silence hummed into the dark night, the glimmering bright stars high above, shinning peacefully upon the two small figures cuddled tightly into each other.

The little girl gazed at the scene before her with feverish and lost amatist eyes, to transfixed into the marvelous sight to really worry about the cold currently gnawing into her bones. Shivers overtook her small frame as a long arm of her older companion built a worm fort around her lithe shoulders.

-"Ready to go home now, Zero?"- The soft voice of the young man causing Zero to jump slightly, as if it had suddenly burst the bubble of the dream land she'd found refuge for the past hours.

Amatist met amatist. The older boy smiled gently, grayish-purple orbs amused as he nuzzled his face into the child's silvery strands of silken hair, identical to his own.

-"Ne, Ichiru-ni , can we stay a little longer?"

The boy rested his silver head above Zero's, his eyes turning sad as he sighed into the unruly strands: -"Is the medicine making you sick again?"

Zero fell silent, not knowing what to answer that would not be considered a lie, she did not want to worry her ni-san, but… she didn't want to go back home and take another dose of that awful concoction that would only muffle her senses and make her so dizzy she would either have to force it back out or have it do it on its own scorching, tortuous way.

The lack of answer was enough for Ichiru. Things were getting worse, and soon, maybe even deadly.

Unless he acted quickly.

Another sigh was ripped from his paled, cold lips. That could wait a little longer, right now it was still just them, and it could continue being that way, he thought, as it should be. With a lingering, tender kiss at top of the younger silverette's head he whispered lovingly.

-"We'll stay here with you as long as you want Roro-chan, I won't ever leave you"

Round purple jewels were hidden under sleepy, snowy white eyelashes as a small contented smile adorned Zero's pinkish plum lips.

-"Thank you ni-sama…"

Sleep covered the tiny girl in its peaceful blanket of oblivion with a last dazzled glance of the quiet haven night sky.

10 years later…

The annoyingly acute sound of the alarm clock, combined with Yuuki's equally annoyingly acute voice drilling into her skull right though her ear woke Zero from her dreamless sleep. And just as she had concurred a fitfuless resting sleep, just her luck really.

-"Wakey-Wakey Zero, or we'll be latey-latey again"

Zero opened her dim lavender eyes to stare blankly at her adopted sister as she totted around the room seemingly gathering her uniform from ungodly places. Who looks for their uniform skirt under the bed and actually finds it there?

Yuuki apparently, as she suddenly straightened from her crawling position with and excited "Eureka!"

Zero shook her head and headed for the small bathroom attached to their dorm room, one of the only benefits of being the chairman's 'lovely daughters'. No common showers for them.

Just half way to the wonderfully scalding hot shower a fluffy towel hit the back of her head, making Zero halt half step to glare over her shoulder to a lightly blushing Yuuki.

-"Zero! can't you wear a nightgown like a normal person!"- Yuuki berated, feeling like it were the thousand time she'd done it, with just about the same response every single time, which ended in a huff and a grumpy-

-"It's too warm to wear more than this, besides, we're both girls"- Zero stretched lazily, dragging her panties and t-shirt clad self into the bathroom with a last annoyed:-"nothing new to see"

Yuuki sighed, déjà-vu… sometime she wondered why she even tried…

The dorm door opened suddenly with a loud smash, revealing a overly bright man like thing with glasses and a flowery pink apron, smiling like sunshine as he cooed:

-"Good morning, how are my beautiful daughters? I've brought you your breakfast so that you can grow into smart, gorgeous, successful-"

And so it dragged on, and on…

_Oh yeah_, thought Yuuki, _**THAT**__'s why_. She suddenly wished she were the one in the shower. Stupid Zero.

**Please review and tell me what you think**


	2. If just for now

**Ok, so 3 reviewers so far, great reviews, they made me very happy, Starry Night (thank you for the correction, I was actually struggling to remember how it was properly spelled, but I got bored after a while and just hoped to god it actually stuck, so thank you that error will no longer be committed), God-d-e-ss Eternity ( thank you so much for your review, I personally also think of Zero female version to be that way, it's just plain weird to think of him as soft, tender and cheerful, even in girl shoes, so I hope you'll stick around and give your opinion on my Zero girl thoughts) Lead( I've updated as soon as I could, I hope you still like this one)**

**Well, with no more further ado, I give to you **

**Chapter 2: If just for now**

Classes had been a strange, cloudy blur for Zero, having slept through most of them or just plain old ditched to hide in the stables, thus, sleeping some more.

Zero hid a yawn behind a little, delicate hand as she rested her back against a random tree near the Moon Dorm gates, silently surveying the steamy chaos of hormones a couple of feet away.

-"Please stay in line!"- Yuuki ordered around with no use as it only seemed to encourage the horde of wild fan girls to push harder. _Where was Zero when she needed her?_

Soon Yuuki found herself on her back as the omniscient creak of the Gates announced the arrival of their beloved Sempais. _I'm going to die_, she thought, _and I didn't even write a will._

Yuuki closed her eyes, waiting for death's cold embrace to only be met with a peculiar form of silence. Brown eyes opened hesitantly to find the once deadly crowd of rabid girls cowering and trembling as a dark aura crashed unto them.

Yuuki sighed gratefully. _Better late than never._

-"How many times do I have to stand your kya, kya, kya's!"- Zero growled, lilac eyes alit with annoyance, sending a little terrified chill down Yuuki's spine-"I've had it! Get back to your dorms before I give you all detention for a year!"

OK, maybe that was a little too much, Yuuki's eyebrow twitched. Nevertheless, the Moon Dorm gates were soon deserted and she could finally allow herself some much needed breath. _This is going to make me go old way too soon._

Zero sighed, ripping the groveling brunette out of her self-pitying thoughts, extending a dainty, graceful hand out to her fallen comrade with something akin to guilty embarrassment in her enchanting amethyst eyes. Yuuki smiled brightly.

-"Thank you Zero"

The silverette nodded wordlessly as she turned her attention to the slowly approaching group of Level B vampires that constituted the night class. A relieved expression on their flawlessly gorgeous features as they relished the silence for once during change over. It was as rare as it was precious.

Well, everyone except one certain blond.

-"Awww, where have all the delicious little humans gone to?"- Aidou Hanabusa whined to his cousin, sending a short lived but chilling glare in a certain silver haired, purpled eyed demon/prefect direction. This was certainly her doing, Hanabusa was sure of it.

Couldn't she let him have his fun every once in a while? Was it really too much to ask?

Of course it was, silly Hanabusa, this is the deadly beautiful She-devil he was referring to. He huffed in annoyance as he kept further complains to himself, not wanting a repeat of that one time he'd voiced his thoughts a little to forwardly- he now admitted, though there was no way he'd ever say it out loud- hell would faster freeze over than he would ever apologize to that wrenched evil spawn.

_**Flashback**_

Hanabusa Aidou was having quite a good time with his little human fans, delighting himself in the heavenly scent of their sweet blood. Oh how he wished he could sink his throbbing fangs into that pliant, soft flesh of them. They would gleefully allow him to, of that he was sure.

He sighed inwardly, _if it were not for Kaname-Sama._

-"Everybody back to your dorms right this instant before I make you _**cry**_!"

Hanabusa was pulled out of his mourning thoughts as the enraged voice made the young human girl he was currently indulging in hurriedly scurried away in fear, along side of all his little pets. _Completely unacceptable!_

As he turned to unleash his ire on who ever dared scare away his toy, he found himself staring into furiously aflame amethyst jewels in the face of a silver haired_** goddess**_. His mouth suddenly felt much to dry and blood much to hot in his veins. With an alluringly brilliant smile he approached the enchanting girl from behind, silently admiring the smooth curves of her young womanly body under that accursed uniform. _Oh well, you can't have everything Hanabusa._

Smirk still present, he leaned into the moonlit siren's ear, whispering in an amusedly wicked voice: -"Ne, if you wanted my attention so badly, you merely need as- ahhh!"

The world was spontaneously turned, flipped and viciously slammed as Aidou Hanabusa found himself on his knees, chest painfully crushed into the groveled pathway while his right arm, the one that had unconsciously reached out to touch the lovely enchantress's hand was being practically ripped off of his torso, being bent so harshly at his back.

Blinking away his confusion, his aquamarine eyes glanced up towards the source of his downfall, only to be met with a sight that would hunt his most wild dreams (or nightmares as he stubbornly would put now anyways)

The most perfect, creamy, milky pale thigh, one which, as a matter of fact, was summiting him to the ground with a force that could not belong to a pubescent child- _YAY!_

He was distracted of the sudden blush taking over his naturally pale cheeks as the sound of a solemn click and the feel of a scorching cool metallic object press against his only non-abused temple.

His mouth felt a thousand times dryer now as he stared into the barrel of the most terrifying anti-vampire weapon he's seen in his life (not that he'd seen any before, but that was besides the point)… _Bloody Rose was it called? Well now he had a name to remember by in his nightmares, thank you._

-"Would you like to run that by me one more time, you filthy bloodsucker"

The dangerous low tone in which it was said sent chills down the vampire's spine, of what, he could not be certain, as he stared into the girl's angelic face with something between terror, confusion and undiluted _awe_.

-"Zero!"- the voice of the other little human prefect burst the strange bubble of apprehension of Hanabusa's as the girl "Zero" released the demolishing hold of her lavender eyes on his and proceeding to stand while uncocking that godforsaken thing as she coldly said unto him:

-"Get to class Sempai"

_**End Flashback**_

One of the most humiliating moments of his near immortal existence, infinitely worse as he'd only noticed Ruka's giggling in the background as soon as he'd lost sight of those smooth, delectable legs. And then, to discover he'd come onto a huntress, an _ex-human_ **huntress** of all things, Hanabusa was sure he'd never live it down.

Not even Kaname-Sama's slapping (twice in a row I must add) was enough of a penitence. In his humble opinion.

So now, as he choked on so many objections, he merely walked past the beautifully scornful demon child with a soul wrenching glare. That much to his disappointment, was met with utter indifference from those disdainful lilac orbs, as the short halo of silvery strands blew in the soft afternoon breeze, caressing her lithe shoulders in an almost sleepy manner.

Oh heavens, how can something so evil be so **adorable**?

Zero ignored the horde of vampire filth as they gracefully passed them without uttering a single word of greeting, with the sole exception of the blond, green eyed Ichijou Takuma, who smiled kindly to both prefects adding a small wave as his soulful companion, the ever stoic super model Shiki Senri, barely managed to yawn and keep the protruding pocky stick in his mouth.

Zero nodded meekly as a response of the only vampire she could mildly tolerate. All the while brushing off the occasional glance and glares directed her way as she began to think of a good spot to take a midnight nap during patrol. Though she might not get much sleep this night either, she thought with bitter distaste, tonight was time for her weekly dosage of her god-awful medications.

She suppressed a sigh, completely oblivious of the searching wine colored orbs, hungrily taking in her frowning face as if it were solid nutriment. And to one Pureblood prince, it certainly was.

With a small, charming smile, Kuran Kaname approached the two most precious girls, startling one into a blushing, stuttering mess, while the other seemingly ignored his presence while subtlety keeping a close check of the distance between pureblood and human. Kaname's smile broadened

-"Good evening Yuuki, Kiryuu-chan"- Kaname greeted, delighted to see them both well, if a bit tired-"Thank you, as always, for your hard work"

Yuuki blushed even more, if possible, as she bowed deeply: -"Thank you, Kaname-Sempai"

Kaname couldn't help but chuckle at the cute little girl's antics, hand unconsciously extending to touch those unruly burgundy locks, so much like his own, as a ghostly pale hand shot out to halt his movement. Grasping the larger hand in its tiny hold for just a slip second, before pushing it away harshly.

Amethyst eyes met garnet in a silent warning as the huntress spoke lowly: "You wouldn't want to be late to class Kuran-Sempai, I suggest you leave now"

The pureblood's kind smile turned into a slight upturn of his lips, drenched with quiet amusement as he teasingly rubbed his "abused" hand while starting to make his way to the awaiting night class members by the school doors

-"So scary miss prefect"- Kaname shot his two miracles a soft smile before uttering his private version of farewell: -"Be safe"

The girls bid him goodnight, each in their own adorable way. Yuuki smiling broadly, stuttering a cute: -"Goodnight Kaname-Sempai"

Zero on the other hand…

Her lavender eyes narrowed into hateful slits, as she turned her fare face away in distaste.

Kaname had the uncharacteristic urge to sigh, _what a troublesome child_, he thought sadly, holding the hand Zero had practically smacked away, as if it were some poisonous creature, in his own, he silently cherished that stolen moment of contact, even if fleeting and hurtful, it made him happy, and it was enough.

If just for now…

**Hope you enjoyed, please review**


	3. When it's all over

**Well, a lot of wonderful reviews, I loved them all , so as a reward here is the next chapter with a bit of a cliffhanger because I'm evil XD**

**Chapter 2: When it's all over**

Zero kept her lilac eyes trained on the back of the retreating Royal Leach with something in between disgust and curiosity in the slight downturn of her sakura-pink lips. She just couldn't understand what that bloodsucker found so amusing in testing her patience every single time they encountered. Did he have a death wish or did he simply not believe Zero capable of putting a bullet in his head?

Because, either one, she would be more than pleased to comply.

-"Ow!"- Zero grunted, being brought out of her dream world as a small, but disturbingly accurate fist started to pound away on her arm as she tried to sidestep away from the infuriating brunette midget.-"What do you _think_ you're _doing_?"

Yuuki followed her retreat with flaming cheeks and flying fists that succeeded in only finding air. _Damn Zero's hunter training,_ _Damn her!_

Finally tiring of avoiding the girl's attacks, Zero planted her hand on her sister's forehead to keep her at bay as she silently steamed. What had she done to deserve this treatment?

-"Why are you always so **rude**!"- Yuuki complained, still unable to score Zero even if the girl was just about the same height as her, how in heavens case were her arms that long!

Zero groaned softly, not this again.

-"Oh am I? Or is it just because it's your precious _Kaname-Sama_?"

Yuuki blushed furiously as she put in a lot more vigor into her swings with little to no effect on the silverette's stoic features.

-"No it's you in general!"-She cried, giving one last punch to the air before finally giving up with a helpless sigh.-"I just don't understand why you treat him so badly, Kaname-Sempai's been nothing but kind with us and he… cares"

And it was true, Kaname-Sempai did care for them so very much, always greeting them, asking how they were doing, always extending a helping and comforting hand when they'd needed it. For Yuuki, at least, he was the reason she was still alive. If it weren't for his gentle soul she would've been drained dry by that crazed vampire all those years ago, or even without the vampire in that picture, she would have froze to death in that winter night. Alone and memory less as she'd been. It wouldn't have taken much more than nature's course to end her life.

But it hadn't,_** he**_ hadn't let that happen.

But to Zero, all that kindness was nothing, and she couldn't understand why, what had Kaname-Sempai done to deserve so much hate and spite from this lonely girl?

Her maroon eyes downcast as she submerged herself in her troubled musings, missing the soft, yearning glance of lavender eyes as they quickly averted towards the high windows where the night classes began, finding undecipherable garnet eyes staring down on them, almost as if he knew what gnawed into the huntress's very soul.

Amethyst glared defiantly to the pureblood demon, she'd rather claw herself to death than to let some primp bloodsucker see her as weak.

Turning her glare down to her little sister, the silly brunette that would always try so hard to save the world but could not even save herself from the impending midterms. Zero's fingers flicked the girl's furrowed forehead fondly, making her glare back, annoyed as she rubbed her bullied head.

Zero nodded towards the surrounding forest:-"Come, we have work to do"

Yuuki smiled halfheartedly as she followed the young huntress into their nightly patrols. Whatever was really in Zero's mind, it would never really change what was in her heart, and even if she always put up a strong front, Yuuki could swear on her life, that Zero had a gentle, if broken, heart.

And if this was her way of pulling it back together, Yuuki would be on her knees right beside her to pick up the pieces.

Zero sent a disturbed glance to her equally disturbing adopted sister as she started to skip at her side, smiling widely while humming something between the happy birthday song and the national anthem. Maybe having been raised by that crazy excuse of a chairman had unscrewed her corks.

Zero could only hope it wasn't infectious.

….

Zero couldn't really decide if the world had suddenly stopped moving, or if it had started to spin in super speed.

Her bare feet stumbled on the wooden floor as her delicate fingers marked a bloody trail on the pristine wallpaper. She felt so heavy, but also, so lightheaded, she couldn't make up which way was north, and she really, **really** needed to reach the bathroom, if only she could remember exactly _where_ she'd left it-

Her thoughts were cut sharply as her foot caught on something, causing her to plummet into the ground like a puppet whose strings had been mercilessly cut. It was truly marveling to Zero how she could feel so numb and yet, be in so much pain.

Gasping for air as she felt herself be set aflame from inside out, she gathered what little strength was left in her trembling limbs to pull herself up, but just as she had achieved to set a steady leg beneath her, a brand new wave of hell's fire licked its way up to her chest, sending her lithe body to sprawl helplessly on the floor.

Zero blinked slowly as she took a second to regain her breath over the toe curling agony she was under. Finally noticing the puddle of thick, blackened substance pooling around her face, drenching her short, silver locks into a dampen hue. Was that blood? _Her blood_?

With one last miraculous display of sheer willpower, Zero managed to pick her body into a half decent sitting, leaning her entire weight on the soiled wall yes, but at least not as pitiful as being laid out in the middle of the hallway.

_Now all I have to do is breathe it through_, Zero thought hopeful, _it will all be over soon…_

_Green, tender eyes stared down at her, lips forming a sad little smile as a feathery soft hand caressed her sweat soaked face:-"It will all be over soon"_

Zero's lilac eyes snapped open as she recovered from the short time-travel, her head reeling against the memory and the pain, deeper and more intense than the one those goddamned pills she'd just shoved down her throat a couple of minutes ago could cause her.

A tiny moan escaped her tightly clenched teeth as her vision began to blur again, _I have to stay awake, just a little longer…_

-"Zero- Chan?"

Someone was calling her name, somewhere, not too far; somebody was calling out to her. Zero held on to that resounding voice tightly, encompassing her every breath at the pace of the soft footsteps that came closer and closer as the fire inside her escaladed until she felt herself being enveloped in flames.

Zero drowned a blood chilling scream with her dainty hands crushed against her bleeding mouth.

_Just a little longer… I can do this._

-"Zero-Chan?"

_I just have to hold on, it's going to end soon…_

-"Zero-Chan, are you there?"

Zero whimpered painfully. _Oh god, make this stop_

-"Zero!"

Someone had found her. Too bad she couldn't really see whom as her vision, along with all her senses, was stripped away from her leaving her in an enclosed cage of pure torture. Zero tried to croak out a response as she could faintly feel the presence of another person kneeling by her side, but all she managed was a choked, unintelligible: -"Bathroom"

Whoever it was with her understood what she meant, or simply took her body churning gagging as a clue for in a matter of seconds she found herself wrenching her stomach constraints into a glistering white bowl of the Chairman's toilet.

Zero almost felt like crying in relieve as the boiling fire in her veins diminished into a quiet scorn as soon as the metallic pills left her system, hitting the porcelain bowl with a soft ting. Zero could only stare at those 2 tiny, seemingly harmless silver pills, leisurely sinking in a lake of blood.

_It's finally over…_

-"ZERO!"

Zero couldn't tell if it was the panic in that voice calling her name, or the strong, hectic arms wrapping around her trembling frame and pulling her into a wide wavering chest, or if it was her own body alerting her that something wasn't going right that she tiredly pulled her head up to see her hands, tightly holding the Toilet seat, being covered in web like cracks, glowing weakly as they crawled down to her fingertips.

_Maybe it really __**was**__ over…_

**Please review and tell me what you think**


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